The battle for the future of Penn Station continues.

On Friday, a public hearing on the proposed Penn Station Revitalization Plan was held at 250 Broadway in Manhattan. But prior to the hearing, a group of opponents and elected officials gathered to protest the plan. 

The current plan is backed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Empire State Development Corporation, but opponents claim the plan focuses on commercial development and not enough on the station itself.

“We want to call in the feds and the big guns to recreate this plan,” said Assembly Member Tony Simone (D-75th District). “The plan should not be depending on one developer. It shouldn't be a scheme where we do not know where the funding will come from and at the cost of taxpayer money.” 

The group argues that in order to successfully pull off the revitalization, the city needs a new funding plan. 

“What the state has given us is a real estate plan … we want to fix Penn Station. We want a transit plan,” said Trains Before Towers campaign manager Diana Gonzales. “When you lead with building buildings instead of leading with how to make the station better, you end up in very different places.” 

A spokesperson for Hochul's office issued a statement to News 12 saying, "Governor Hochul has proposed a vision for Penn Station that provides a new, revitalized station, in addition to more station safety and platform access, more housing, more transportation options, more open space, and more services for the surrounding neighborhood. The Governor’s proposal is the responsible, commuter-first plan that New Yorkers deserve and is befitting of Penn Station's status as the busiest transit hub in the Western Hemisphere.”